Happy Easter!

Watch:  He is Risen! by Christ Stefanick

Holy Saturday
 

Good Friday

Join the Divine Mercy Novena, Which Begins Today! Sign up for our Daily Novena Emails and you'll receive:   Your 9 novena prayers emailed each morning so you won't forget! A video link to pray Divine Mercy with the CFR friars (pray at any time) A video link to pray Divine Mercy with the Marian Fathers (pray at 3:00 PM ET daily) SIGN UP FOR DAILY NOVENA EMAILS HERE Join Catholics From All Over the World As We Pray This Novena Together! The map below is the "participant report" for the Divine Mercy Novena. Each dot represents a cluster of Catholics joining us in prayer! It brings us great joy to know that people are joining together in prayer from every corner of the earth, to beg for God's mercy upon the whole world!

Holy Thursday

A 30-MINUTE VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE

We are excited to offer Triduum: A Spiritual Pilgrimage for free to everyone for Holy Week. This contemplative documentary cinematically walks through the locations of Holy Week and re-presents the most important days of human history.

Catholics from all around the world can unite and make a spiritual journey to the Holy Land this Triduum and enter more deeply into the mystery of Jesus’s last days as he makes his pilgrimage to Calvary and, ultimately, the Resurrection.

Through Divine Mercy Sunday (April 11), we are offering this video to all to deepen the experience of Holy Week and Easter Week.

No subscription needed, so be sure to share

with your family and friends!   WATCH NOW


Wednesday

Give to Jesus your commitment to speak his words to others and hold back all that is unloving, unkind, unholy.

Jesus says: “Proclaim the kingdom of God in the way that I call you to serve.”

Pray: Come Holy Spirit and empower me. Give me the words to speak, as Jesus promised You would do (in Luke 12:12), and give me a sense of timing so that I know when to speak. Furthermore, make me very uncomfortable with words that are unholy and crude and ideas that are not the truth.

Tuesday
Click Here for Two-Minute Tuesdays with Chris Stephanick about guilt.

Monday

Sunday
Thanks to the proceeds from the Rummage Sale, our Ignite youth group was able to purchase books from Dynamic Catholic, written by Matthew Kelly.  We handed out this book on Palm Sunday.  The name of the book is  'I Heard God Laugh'.  We also handed that book out to every person who purchased from us at the Rummage Sale.  A great way to evangelize.  Thinking outside of the box.  How about you?  Can you think outside of the box  on others ways to evangelize?

Saturday

PRAYING THROUGH HOLY WEEK
with Father Mike Schmitz
of Ascension Presents: 
Find out how the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist from Duluth pray
during Holy Week, and maybe discover something you can use in your prayer life as we walk with Jesus from his entry into Jerusalem, to Calvary and the Resurrection. The unique prayer commitment Fr. Mike suggests in this video follows Jesus through all of his experiences—from suffering to celebration—in this the holiest week of the year. Watch the video below.

Watch Father Mike talk about how to pray through Holy Week.

Friday  

Thursday
Which is better to say, the rosary or the divine mercy chaplet?
Do you know what they are?  Do you say them?
Well, here is Father Mike telling us about both. What they are and why we say them.

To help you, here are two videos to help.

Your Path to the Rosary

The Divine Mercy Chaplet (my favorite video for this)


Wednesday
   Today's first reading always reminds me of my Mom because she was so proud that she could remember the names of the three men that walked in fire because they would not succumb to King Nebuchadnezzar who  wanted them to worship the golden statue. They would rather be thrown in the white-hot furnace than to worship a false god. We live in a times where we are enticed to believe or do things that we know in our hearts are wrong.  Lets try and have the conviction of the three men in the reading. 
Listen to this cute song to help you remember their names.

Tuesday

Click Here for Two-Minute Tuesdays with Chris Stephanick about 4 power points of prayer; Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and... Stuff?

Monday

Check out Father Rob!  This video is about how the priest prepares for Mass - about what he wears and what he prays in the sacristy beforehand. It is also a look at the Mass itself - the parts of the Mass, the prayers, and the meaning of the gestures. SO interesting!
 

Sunday

Reflection from Good News Ministry. 

This Sunday's Gospel reading shows us that Jesus felt troubled by the sacrifices he would have to make. Yes, even Jesus himself felt troubled! And the Father glorified him.

Jesus came to earth to reveal God's ways and God's love and lead us to heaven. Now we, his followers, are called, commissioned, and prepared by the Sacraments to reveal God's ways and God's love to those around us, so that Jesus can lead them to heaven. That is the mission, the purpose of being Church, for all of us.

The Sacrament of Baptism initiates us into this calling. Confirmation commissions us to do it. Confession enables us to do it better. Marriage and Holy Orders give us a venue for perfecting it. The Anointing of the Sick converts our illnesses into opportunities to bear witness to Christ's Passion. And the Eucharist unites us so fully to the Passion of Christ that we become what we are called to do.

We love others as Jesus loves them, we do for them what Jesus would like to do for them.

Often, this involves making difficult sacrifices. This is our unity with Christ, our Passion. We're not supposed to like it, but we are supposed to do it.

The Father honors us for this. Just like he glorified Jesus, he honors us with his compassion, his rewards, and his approval.

It's okay to feel troubled by the challenges we face in our mission. What keeps us going is knowing that God is raising us up. There is always resurrection after crucifixion.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
What troubles are you facing? Where is Jesus in this? Is he ahead of you, leading the way? Are you are following him? Rest with him for a little while and tell him your complaints. 

When you make sacrifices for others, how does this connect you more closely to the human heart of Jesus? 

Saturday

Friday

Happy Feast of St. Joseph!  He is one of the best examples of the good that can come from a life of humility. His humility inspired him to remain 100% available and open to the will of God.

And look what God did with that availability! He gave St. Joseph a mission, and through that mission, the world was saved. 

Today, on the feast day of St. Joseph, we invite you to watch Matthew Kelly’s reflection.
 
Thursday

Wednesday

Tuesday

  Click Here for Two Minute Tuesdays with Chris Stefanick about Saint Patrick!

Monday

Sunday

Saturday

Click Here for the Fourth Day of the St. Joseph Novena

Friday

Thrid Day of the St. Joseph Novena

     STATIONS OF THE CROSS

1. Jesus is Condemned to Death

2. Jesus Carries His Cross

3. Jesus Falls the First Time

4. Jesus Meets his Mother

5. Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

6. Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

7. Jesus Falls Second Time

8. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

9. Jesus Falls a Third time

10. Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

11. Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

12. Jesus Dies on the Cross

13. Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

14. Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

 

Thursday
The USCCB has composed this novena to be prayed yearly on March 10-18, the nine days that precede the Solemnity of Saint Joseph on March 19. Each day of the novena is accompanied by a reflection video from bishops across the United States. The novena may also be adapted for use at other times of the year, especially feasts celebrating Saint Joseph and occasions when his intercession is sought by the faithful. Here are today's and yesterdays novena so that we are all caught up.

First Day of the St. Joseph Novena

Second Day of the St. Joseph Novena

Wednesday

Tuesday

Check out Chris Stefanick's Two Minute Tuesday about How to Hear God's Voice.

Monday.

Did you know that our parish secured every parishioner  with a free subscription to FORMED?  

 ​FORMED provides so much!  Movies, Short video  reflections, prayers, news, etc. 
AND daily Lenten reflections. Check one out here

Sunday.
My daughter and I took a couple of days to ski in Utah!  The reason I am telling you this is that today is Sunday and we cannot find a Catholic Church in Park City to attend mass.  Either you have to reserve a seat or you need to be invited!  Both options didn't work for us.  Thankfully, we can watch mass online on our own parish website!  Did you know that you can watch Sunday Mass as well as daily masses right here!  What a blessing that is.  And we are especially blessed to be able to go to Sunday Masses in person!

CLICK HERE to watch today's MASS here at Saint Leo the Great

Saturday.

Something inspiring for you.

Kids Singing You Raise Me Up


Friday.

I thought I would share this essay that my son Kevin wrote for a Religion class about sin, forgiveness and Paradise.  Not sure what grade he was in. If he was here, I would ask him.  But ironically or prophetically, Kevin began his "eternal beginning in Paradise"  last April , 10 years after his skateboard accident in 2009. 

--- In Kevin's words...
We as human beings all sin. Sin is what we are born with. Sin is a result of our free will. The only reason God lets us sin is because he is good enough and powerfull enough to bring good out of sin. From our sin, we might learn that what we are doing is wrong and repent. God can also bring good out of suffering. From our suffering, God might bless us with faith in Him. The same thing is true for death. To us, death is a bad thing. We try to avoid death at all costs. But if we have strong faith in Jesus Christ, death can be a good, new, eternal beginning in Paradise.

When Jesus died on the cross, he took with him all of the sins of the dead, living, and not yet born people. He was like the scape goat for all of humanity. Through the Sacrament of Healing, God can reconcile us with Him again. Once we sin, we experience guilt and other forms of punishment. Hopefully, our conscience will guide us to do the right thing and confess and repent. Through Jesus' death and Resurection, He atones for our sins. We are then reconciled with God once again.

There have been many times in my life that God has brought good out of evil. My grandfather had gotten sick and was in the hospital for a long time. When he eventually died, it seemed like an evil act had occured. Then I realized that is was better for him to pass on and start his eternal life with God than to suffer in a hospital.
---
A lot to think about.  If you need a prayer hour and would like to rwrite a reflection on this essay, just email it to me.  joankret@stleothegreat.com

Thursday.
Enter your days slowly during Lent.  Get to bed a half hour earlier and get up a half hour earlier.  Take some time to read and reflect.  You will be amazed at how this sets the tone for your day.  Get into a your gratitude zone.  Thank God for your family, your friends, your school, your faith and any of your multitude of blessings.  When you are in that zone, everything else is a little bit brighter!

"In gratitude, our hearts always dance for joy"  ~ Matthew Kelly

Wednesday.
God is the ultimate Giver.  He expects nothing less than for us to follow His example.  Here is a Lenten challenge.  Try and give something away every day.  Ask God to show you what He wants you to give away.
"Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.  Righteousness shall go before Him and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk."  ~ Psalm 85: 12-13

Tuesday.
 You might like this video from Jackie Angel about growing closer to God this Lent. 
Get Uncomfortable 

Monday.
Welcome to the 3rd week of Lent!
 
So glad we are taking this Lenten Journey together!
These 47 days could improve the rest of your year.
As part of Positive Acts,  starting today, March 1st,  try to perform 3 postive acts per day.
If you need some help with ideas for Positive Acts, please visit "I Need Ideas".

We grow up being told "Don't judge a book by its cover... you never know what's on the inside".   Yet, people are judged by their covers all the time.  When we judge people by their "covers"... we, and the world, are missing out on their full value.  Today, think of three ways you can avoid being judgemental of others.
 
Sunday.
Happy Sunday! A Day of Rest. Take some time to just sit and be with God.  Play a game with your family.   Reflect on all that you’ve experienced and learned this week. In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain. There, they experience the Transfiguration. How would you have felt if you were there? Where do you feel God's presence most?  Go there.

Saturday.

Friday.
A really good app to have on your phone is Relevant Radio. There are Catholic podcasts, news, lessons and shows on demand.  One of my favorites is the Drew Mariani Show.
For Lent they are doing lessons on the mass.  Check it out

Thursday.
 Four Reasons why Catholics Fast and how it changes your life.  Check out Chris Stefanick's video about this.  Tomorrow is Friday, a good day to fast!  Four Good Reasons

Wednesday.
Have you ever listened to, or read books by Matthew Kelly?  Ignite regularly purchases his books to give out.  Some that we have are;  Rediscovering Jesus, Rediscovering the Saints and just ordered I Heard God Laugh.  These are FREE for anyone who wants one!  I will have some at church on Sunday for you to take if you want.
Matthew Kelly started  Dynamic Catholic and they do a video each day.
Click on this one as an example of the good habit of prayer.  The Best Lent Ever.

Tuesday.

Monday.
Today would be a good time to assess how your lenten journey is going.  Do you have a plan? Is it simple enough so that you can be disciplined and are you focusing on the needs of others and using your talents? Is your plan intended to move you towards a more powerful relationship with God? Are  you celebrating your progress? And even if you aren't making progress, are you learning from this journey?  All good questions to think about today.

Sunday.

A really good thing about social media is being able to use it for good. Do you use it in a healthy, well-balanced way?  Here is someone who has used social media to lead others to a better relationship with God and with others.  On Facebook, Angela Werner has been posting every day for over 5 years, a reflection based on daily readings.  Here was today's reflection.

MARK (1:12-15) (1st Sun Lent/B)
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 'This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'
-          -          -          -          -          -           -
Gospel Reflection:
God allows us to be tempted, but doesn't leave us without assistance. God gives each of us a conscience, and an angel who is always in our corner.

But most importantly, God gives us the capacity to love.

Turning away from a sinful desire is an (act of love) toward God.

Saturday.

Friday.

There are two reasons to fast: One is to deny ourselves something we value, as an act of penance because of our sins, and the other is to provide to others something they value, as an act of love because of our holiness.

Doing good deeds for others accomplishes much more than we gain by fasting from good meat, good candy, or good fun. Our sacrifices for Lent should benefit others, not just ourselves.

As a positive act,  try denying yourself something and then say a prayer for someone in need. Or try one of these ways to fast.

Thursday.

The Lenten Positive Acts Challenge

For Centuries, Christians all over the world have been performing Lenten sacrifices between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.

They fast… give up certain foods… refrain from activities… as a sign of respect and admiration for Jesus Christ.

That’s great, and it should continue. It’s a personal sacrifice, and most likely affects only the life of the person committing to it.

This year, what if we add something to our Lenten Journey. Something that would benefit not only the person committing to it, but also many others as well. Something that’s not hard to do… doesn’t cost anything… and doesn’t take much time. Yet, its power is unlimited… and can be transformational.

It’s called the Lenten Positive Acts Challenge.

Here’s how it works: For the 47 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, we each perform “positive acts” of kindness toward others.

The number of positive acts you perform on a specific day is based on the number of that week in the 7 week Lenten period.   Ash Wednesday (February 17^th) counts as day 1 of week 1 so one act of kindness per day. The next Monday (February 22^nd) begins week 2 so two acts of kindness per day.  Monday, February 29th begins week 3 so three acts of kindess per day …

Positive acts can include anything from letting someone get in front of you on line…to telling someone you like something about them…to simply smiling at someone and saying “good morning”.

The key is that your positive act makes someone feel good about something, or brings them your prayer.

When someone performs a positive act toward another person, the natural reaction of the receiver is to feel better, and to then return the favor by also performing a positive act toward someone. Many times it’s returned to a different person, creating a positive act chain reaction.

The Lenten Positive Acts Challenge can be practiced by anyone, any age, anywhere.

What Would Jesus Do when He sees what we’re doing with these positive acts during Lent?

We can’t say for sure. However, we can imagine that He’ll be smiling from East to West… and that He’ll say something like “Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!”

Please consider taking the Lenten Positive Acts Challenge, and getting your family and friends to join you. You have nothing to lose… and everything to gain.

So this year, as you’re deciding whether to give up chocolate… swearing… lattes… consider adding some positive acts to your Lenten experience.  Better yet, join the Lenten Positive Acts Challenge today!  Here is an excel spreadsheat to track your positive acts.  Think Positive!

Lenten Positive Acts Tracker
____________________________________________________________________
Ash Wednesday. 

 We receive ashes on our foreheads to remind ourselves of our sinfulness and our need for Jesus and what he did for us on Good Friday to redeem us from sin.  At the beginning of the journey, we do not wear ashes to look Catholic. It's a sign that we know we need to always strive to be better versions of ourselves.  And we can do that by having a solid personal relationship with Jesus.

ALMSGIVING is a gift we give to God in thanksgiving for his generosity to us.  Almsgiving converts our hearts by sacrificing our  attachments for the sake of others.  Ignite will provide you with ample opportunities to be of service to others.

PRAYING  converts our hearts by sacrificing our time for the love of God. Ignite will provide you with prayer opportunities along your Lenten journey.

FASTING is worthwhile if it helps us to resist sin and grow in holiness. Ignite can make some suggestions about things to sacrifice in order to get closer to God. Here's a suggestion: Identify one fault -- just one -- and choose an activity or an abstinence that will help you overcome it.

By serving others, praying and sacrificing during our Lenten journey, we arrive at Easter with new holiness.

What will you do this Lent that will aid your spiritual growth?
 

Pray: Come Holy Spirit and help me to make this Lent a life-changing experience. Help me to grow in holiness. 
Say a Hail Mary.